Libby Here!

Zuma sent me a copy of a great question that came from Ms. Thompson’s students: Are all of the dogs huskies?

Any dog that races in Iditarod must be a ‘sled dog’. The dogs that race in Iditarod are a ‘northern breed’ of dog, meaning that they have a natural ‘fur’ coat that protects them. There are other traits or characteristics that the dogs must meet to be able to race in Iditarod. You can read more about the traits a sled dog must have at the Veterinarian Center of the website.

Most of the dogs are called, “Alaskan Huskies” or “Huskies”. A few of the mushers have Siberian Huskies.

The Iditarod dogs sometimes wear jackets, too. A light colored jacket can help the dogs from getting too warm. A dark colored jacket, a fleece jacket, or a wind resistant jacket can be a added layer to help keep the dogs safe and healthy. Sometimes mushers cover their dogs with blankest at night. I’ve included some pictures of my fur friends in their jackets.

All of the dogs that race have complete medical checkups before the race starts. They have to pass their tests or they aren’t on the team.

Boys and Girls, think about these questions. What kinds of foods should you eat? How much sleep do you get? How should you dress for your climate? How often do you see your doctor? Discuss the answers or write about these topics as you think how your answers to the questions are like or different compared to the same questions about the dogs. Make posters or reports to tell what you learned.

Just spinning some de-‘tails’!

Libby Littles